Goodbye, Columbus
Philip Roth
This book is a combination of a novella and several short stories, which is pleasantly varied yet able to keep a general theme on postwar Jewish American life in the suburbs. Roth is very skilled at offering detailed portraits of Jewish suburbia and probes the world in a humorous, yet somewhat cynical way. I enjoyed this collection much more than I liked The Plot Against America, which I felt to be slightly contrived and unsuccessful. This collection, however, remains true to its subjects and isn't in the business of re-writing history; rather, Roth is depicting a contemporary world.
The title story is a moving critique of the materialism of American suburbia, and manages to probe questions of morality as they apply to both Jews and Gentiles. Though the focus is on the Jewish aspect, the story is easily applicable to any study on suburban life. Roth criticizes decadence and what he sees as a loss of American masculinity, but manages to be realistic. His characters are somewhat flat, yet strikingly realistic and relatable. The issues that drive them apart are clearly larger than the simple argument at hand, and their interactions are easily recognized as similar to real-life experiences.
Despite the success of the novella, the rest of the collection is what really shines in this book. It is in these short stories that Roth is able to have a little fun and really criticize what he sees as wrong in America. "Defender of the Faith" was especially good as it analyzed the question of preference based on religion, and of self-definition and related social or heirarchical status. Roth brilliantly illustrates the problem of special preferences and strikes a cunning blow for equality, while at the same time exposing life's little contrivances against us, and all in the last page or two. The other stories included dwell on other aspects of Jewish life and form an altogether funny yet realistic picture of life as we know it.
I think one of the major reasons for the appeal of this book is Roth's ability to transcend Jewish issues and leap into larger issues that effect everyone somehow. His humor and sly wit are repeatedly evident in small episodes and little quirks that are a delight to read. The stories may become overly sentimental at times, and "Eli the Fanatic" was a bit too confusing to be brilliant, but overall I enjoyed the entire collection very much. It is something different, something unique, and it has reinvigorated my interest in Roth's other work. I'm interested to see what else he has put out there.
Grade: A-
Philip Roth
This book is a combination of a novella and several short stories, which is pleasantly varied yet able to keep a general theme on postwar Jewish American life in the suburbs. Roth is very skilled at offering detailed portraits of Jewish suburbia and probes the world in a humorous, yet somewhat cynical way. I enjoyed this collection much more than I liked The Plot Against America, which I felt to be slightly contrived and unsuccessful. This collection, however, remains true to its subjects and isn't in the business of re-writing history; rather, Roth is depicting a contemporary world.
The title story is a moving critique of the materialism of American suburbia, and manages to probe questions of morality as they apply to both Jews and Gentiles. Though the focus is on the Jewish aspect, the story is easily applicable to any study on suburban life. Roth criticizes decadence and what he sees as a loss of American masculinity, but manages to be realistic. His characters are somewhat flat, yet strikingly realistic and relatable. The issues that drive them apart are clearly larger than the simple argument at hand, and their interactions are easily recognized as similar to real-life experiences.
Despite the success of the novella, the rest of the collection is what really shines in this book. It is in these short stories that Roth is able to have a little fun and really criticize what he sees as wrong in America. "Defender of the Faith" was especially good as it analyzed the question of preference based on religion, and of self-definition and related social or heirarchical status. Roth brilliantly illustrates the problem of special preferences and strikes a cunning blow for equality, while at the same time exposing life's little contrivances against us, and all in the last page or two. The other stories included dwell on other aspects of Jewish life and form an altogether funny yet realistic picture of life as we know it.
I think one of the major reasons for the appeal of this book is Roth's ability to transcend Jewish issues and leap into larger issues that effect everyone somehow. His humor and sly wit are repeatedly evident in small episodes and little quirks that are a delight to read. The stories may become overly sentimental at times, and "Eli the Fanatic" was a bit too confusing to be brilliant, but overall I enjoyed the entire collection very much. It is something different, something unique, and it has reinvigorated my interest in Roth's other work. I'm interested to see what else he has put out there.
Grade: A-
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